The Rising ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: The Way Prosperity and Hardship Now Sit Cheek by Jowl in England.

In Nunsthorpe, inhabitants occupy properties only a few metres from their more affluent counterparts in the adjacent Scartho. One 1.8-metre-high wall physically separates the two areas in the town of Grimsby, blocking off roads and walkways that once linked them.

“This is the posh-poor divide,” remarked a resident, aged 37. “It has been there since I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll take it down because I suspect they’ll want to associate with us.”

A Stark National Picture

Data from government statistics shows the extent of disparity can run, at times over little more than a short distance of asphalt, a line of hedges or a barrier. Years of budget cuts and lack of funding have led to a situation where almost two-thirds of local authorities now contain a neighbourhood classified as one of the most deprived in the country.

The geographical widening of poverty has led to a sharp rise in the number of locations where deprived and well-off people find themselves living side by side. In 2019, just 65 of the poorest neighbourhoods adjoined one of the wealthiest. This number increased to 119 in the latest data.

A Barrier Which Does More Than Separate Land

In Grimsby, the gap is the biggest in the country and painfully apparent. The barrier transcends being just a metaphorical divide; it creates very real difficulties for daily routines.

• The school commute that should take 15-20 minutes become an sixty-minute detour.
• Access to key services like grocery stores, schools and employment centres is hindered.
• The area can attract vandalism and loitering, with instances of litter being dumped over the wall and other issues.

“You try to maintain a well-kept home and garden, and then you reside facing that,” said one local, gesturing towards the corroded metal wall.

Local Bonds Against a Backdrop of Hardship

At Centre4, workers emphasise that support transcends postcodes. “Your postcode doesn’t necessarily indicate your level of challenge,” explained director Tracey Good.

Regardless of ranking in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe boasts a strong sense and sense of togetherness among its residents. Meanwhile, Scartho ranks among the most prosperous 10% overall.

Echoes Elsewhere: An Estate in Kent

This pattern is repeated nationally. The Stanhope estate in Kent, a 1960s overspill estate, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of neighbourhoods in England. It is closely bordered by spacious houses built in the early 2000s that are in the top 10% for employment and quality of surroundings.

“They may possess bigger houses, but here there’s more community,” commented Phil Hockley, aged 63. “It’s likely many people over there never even talk to each other.”

The financial gap is evident: an average family home sells for about £275,000 on the estate, while across the divide comparable homes go for about £410,000.

Residents speak of a palpable sense of being overlooked. “Our neighbourhood gets ignored,” stated resident Susan. “In this area our facilities have gradually disappeared, and most of the community problems here are related to financial hardship.”

The rise in these ‘inequality borders’ paints a picture of an ever more segregated society, where wealth and deprivation are often uncomfortably in close proximity.